Closing argument: Why I should be re-elected

Why should you choose me as one of your four votes for S.F. school board this year? Here are some reasons why I should be re-elected:

Despite years of cuts, the district is in good shape and achievement is rising. There are three incumbents running for re-election, and as one of them I believe we should all get credit for keeping the district running well despite four straight years of terrible cuts to K-12 education in California. The district recently reported an Academic Performance Index of 807, above the state’s required benchmark for schools; student achievement is rising for all ethnic groups and we recently had a very smooth leadership transition — avoiding an expensive Superintendent search and affirming the district’s current direction by promoting Richard Carranza. And though I’ve been supportive of the district’s general direction, I have pushedbackon administration and/or other Board members when necessary.

I have led the work to transform special education services in SFUSD. Four years ago, I ran on a platform that special education services in SFUSD were dysfunctional, outdated, and not delivering much benefit to students. That view was affirmed by an external review we commissioned in 2010, and since that time there have been huge changes both in department staffing and philosophy. The work is not done — my own recent experiences as a middle school inclusion parent have underscored this — but we have acknowledged the problem and have articulated a vision about where we need to be in the coming years. More teachers have been trained in inclusive practices, and every school in SFUSD is now an inclusive school — this was not the case when I ran in 2008. We have made progress and I am very proud of my role in leading this change.

I have been a responsive and visible member of the Board of Education, providing an unusual degree of transparency through this blog and other channels. I often meet parents, teachers and other constituents across San Francisco who tell me how much they appreciate the information I provide through this blog. I stay up (too) late after every board meeting to recap what happened, and I respond to questions and comments from readers.

I’ve kept my promises. Here’s the post I wrote four years ago, several days before the election. Judge for yourself whether I’ve delivered on what I promised.